What should I get to upgrade steering?

[OdiN]

Is the Hoohaa centerlink still the best solution?

Also - steering stabilizer from AC a good idea? Plus idler arm brace. Anything else?

Do I need the beefier TRA's or can I just use stock and carry some trail spares? I've read some about each type....seems to be varying opinions.

Need different TRE's?

Eventually I will have 33" tires, plus the PML. But before that, steering just so I'm ready.

Going to start gathering parts for various things and probably just meet up for a mod day at some point.

[DamnHippie]

I think the hoohaa link is a good option. There's some grumbling now and then about the quality of his welds but nobody has ever said that they broke, just that they're ugly.

Whether you need the stronger TRAs probably depends on how hard you wheel. I just bent an SLR TRA, which is pretty hard to do (they're about the same strength as the AC ones). But what it took to bend it was following Bill in his SAS'd rig across every obstacle in carnage canyon that he went over (well, all but two of them that my truck just didn't have the breakover angle for).

You don't need different TREs, the stock ones are way strong. I finally replaced one a few months ago that had finally gotten a bit of play in it, after all the years of hard wheeling I've done on them.

[DamnHippie]

Oh, I guess I should mention I've got a brand new hoohaa steering system at my place, ready to install. I've got the idler and pitman arms already drilled out, so it's just a quick bolt-on, then leave your old parts with me and I'll send them to hoohaa and have him turn them around so that I have another ready-to-bolt-on for the next person.

$230 + $15 shipping, exactly what he charges; I'm not doing this to make money, just making it easier for folks to deal with the cores/core charges and all of that.

[Stubby~CC]

Hoohaa is a good solution, unless you can find someone (who's gone sas)selling a used system. Idler arm brace is needed. Steering stabilizer is a good idea, but not necessary. I rode without one for quite a while, but it is nicer with one. I've been driving on 33s with stock tra's for a few years now and haven't had any problems. However I am switching to ac tra's soon for the added confidence.

[OdiN]

I may take you up on that Ian.

Would need some help with the install - I'm still learing about stuff and I'm not that good with suspension/steering stuff yet.

Not sure when I'll have the cash to do any of this yet though.

I don't wheel too hard or crazy....yet lol.

Don't care about the appearance of a part stuck under the truck - if it's strong and works, I'm not going to complain about it not looking like it came out of a CNC machine.

[CurleyMan]

I'm pretty sure Alex is selling his calmini steering system as well.

229 + 14 dollars shipping IIRC.

[OdiN]

haha Alex is selling everything - does that replace the CL?

[Sully4x4]

Ian can help with the install, he helped me and in the process of broke a harbor freight idler arm puller :D. It's not that hard to install, the cl, it's just more time consuming. But, since he has it drilled out and ready to go, it'd take all of maybe 30+ minutes?

I have a procomp steering stabilizer on my CL and I like it. My brother hated it when he drove my truck for a bit, and he hated it not having a sway bar up front :D. It's nice on road when you hit a pot hole your steering wheel doesn't backlash at you as hard as it normally would. I don't remember if I had my stabilizer on for any trail runs, I might have. But in any case I think it would be even more noticable off road.

And having trail spares of anything is prolly a good idea :D

[OdiN]

We should make a trail spares thread with suggestions for things to have for the different Nissans.

I don't know what breaks more commonly.

TRA's would be good of course...but what about things like CV shaft assembly?

Fluids of course good to have.

As I get something more capable, I'm more apt to go on a trail which might break something, where so far the hardest trail I've done is Twin Cone, and there was just one spot where it was really any problem and all the was really required was good spotting.

You can only have so much stuff though.

[Alex Topousis]

haha Alex is selling everything - does that replace the CL?

yep, it replaces the CL and it comes with calmini's tierods which are rediculously heavy duty. you would maybe want to get new bronze bushings for it though. here is what it looks like
http://www.purenissan.com/steering_system.htm

[Sully4x4]

CV's you should worry about more if you know they are at a severe angle. Such as adding BJ spacers with no diff drop.

[DamnHippie]

I've broken 3 CVs without BJ spacers. Just normal 3" suspension lift and hard wheeling. I always carry a spare.

But if you're not doing really hard stuff, you're not likely to break one.

[Ryan Gee]

Tbars.... Tbars... Tbars.... Tbars!

I know, your going to believe folks who have never owned a set. :poke:

[Stubby~CC]

Tbars.... Tbars... Tbars.... Tbars!


Don't do shit for steering. :p

[Ryan Gee]

Yes it does! Corners and drives way better and the bar isn't twisted to the point of not returning to the orginal memory point.. what do folks say "it will sag a little".

I need to start a thread about this.. off we go.

[OdiN]

Well I'm already looking at new T-Bars anyway because I am planning on a PML :)

[Sully4x4]

Tbars.... Tbars... Tbars.... Tbars!

I know, your going to believe folks who have never owned a set. :poke:

Those of us who haven't owned a set must mean we are still happy with the stock ones, right?

Better yet, you might think we are too ignorant to believe anything else would be better?

Hmm :cool:

[Ryan Gee]

You ignorant? Did I say that?

Quit making crap up... you are sounding like a woman! :duh:

[Sully4x4]

Lol, not making up anything. I never said you said it, I said you MIGHT think that ;).

"Quit making up crap"

[Ryan Gee]

Lol!!!

[671-NISSAN]

I bought a trailmaster lift for my 1995 truck 4inch had problems , bought more parts from calmini still had problems broke more things . I solved that problem by doing a solid axles swap since then i had no problem .

[Ryan Gee]

It happens... a person drives beyond what the "bolt on mods" can handle.

[671-NISSAN]

thats true ... don't know why nissan didn't come out with a solid axle. but RYAN GEE if you could get a price for those axles your using to ship to GUAM i might be intrested to buy them for my next project thanks wish i could try wheeling out there with you guys thats where all the source is to build a solid rig at a great price

[Drake]

If you're sketchy on going with the Hoohaa CL due to his welds, I know of a guy on the east coast that is building CL's as well and his welds are "works of art" as others have put it. His are the same price as Hoohaa's as well and is also currently buying stock CL's if anyone is wanting sell theirs.

His name is Richard and goes by Frontier2k1 on the NOAS boards (former NOAS president too). He is the one who rebuilt youngbreed's rolled xterra into the xterra "truggy". He also does sliders, rear tire carriers and many other custom fab jobs. His current project is his newest frontier that he's putting Unimog axles on.

If you or anyone else is interested, I can give you the contact info. Just pm me if you want to get in touch with him.

[Sully4x4]

You shouldn't be sketchy with Hoohaa's welds. Like Ian said, he has yet to hear of anyone breaking any of his CL's, ever. I myself am still quite impressed with it, it's not the prettiest, but my steering is so much better now. It actually responds :D

[Ryan Gee]

Richard welds for a living... much better.